Prabir slept quietly for two long hours and Bhargavi never got tired of just looking at his face, admiring his features. Bhawani and Parul were in Bhawani's room and Parul was helping Bhawani arrange her belongings in the cupboard. They passed sometime gossiping as Bhawani showed Parul an album of photos and recalled several memories. Bhawani was just two years older to Parul, a student of class 11, they spoke about each other's future ambitions and goals.

Bhawani was speaking to Parul about having been on a tour as an NCC squad member and they heard Bhargavi call out "Bhawani...Bhawani"

Prabir sat up and asked,
"Bhargu...What is it? You need something?"

"Yes I need you to keep quiet for a bit if you don't mind,"she said with a sickeningly sweet smile.

Before Bhawani, Bhargavi's mother approached her, running from the kitchen thinking that may be she needed something.

"Where's Bhawani Maa?" Bhargavi enquired as soon as her mother came in her sight.

"She's in her room with Parul. You need something?" She enquired.

"He's boring me to death, could you please call Bhawani and Parul to join me,"she snapped pointing at Prabir.

Bhawani already heard Bhargavi speaking this to her mother as she had also rushed towards her room, followed by Parul.

Prabir glanced at Bhargavi with a hurt look and she winked at him. He chortled out.

Bhargavi's mother left immediately, she had something placed on the cooker which whistled madly, Bhawani saluted her sister as a professional NCC cadet and said loud and clear," Madam Jailor, we are at your Service Ma'am."

Both Parul and Prabir cracked up laughing and Bhargavi pinched Prabir's nose hard turning it into cherry red as he yelled, "Ouch! Bhargu!"

Both Parul and Bhawani giggled as Bhawani's mother came running and screamed, "This boy has helped us so much, he's having fever and this is what you do in return Bhargavi? How could you punch him in the face?"

Instead of giving her mother a reply, Bhargavi was glaring at Prabir, and Bhawani and Parul just couldn't stop laughing. Prabir tried hard to stifle his laughter but burst out laughing, and puzzled and confused Bhargavi's mother returned to the kitchen.

Prabir was now lying on the bed on his stomach trying hard to stop laughing as his face had almost turned crimson red, but Bhargavi kicked him hard with her right leg and he fell on the floor with a loud thud.

Bhawani and Parul tried to will themselves into helping Prabir, but rolled out in hysterics on the floor. Prabir stood up slowly and said remorsefully," Gosh! Bhargu you are not happy with your broken toe and now want to break my bones too".

Everyone in the room felt as if they would die laughing.

Prabir then gently adjusted the pillow on which he laid his head all this time behind Bhargavi to support her back and laid his head on her lap and again laid down beside her.

Bhargavi instructed Bhawani to close the door, Parul and Bhawani occupied a chair each and then she started,
" Maa's birthday is on the coming Wednesday and we already have all the plans ready, but now I don't think I'll be of any help with this broken toe."

Prabir cut in between," You will help Bhargu...We can't do this without your help. I have it all planned out.

Paru will come and ask for some help in a project, saying I am busy but you might be getting bored and would like to help. I'll take you, then you will instruct and help them with the decorations. You will help me by tasting the dishes I prepare."

Wait! Did I just pinch him so hard?

Did I just kick him so hard that he fell from the bed? And all because he was laughing?

And yet, he's so polite and sweet.

Bhargavi's thoughts flew out of the window when she placed her palm on Prabir's forehead, he was burning with fever.

"Parul please bring the thermometer from your house, I don't think we will find it here.

Bhawani bring a towel, a bucket half-filled with water, a mug and that plastic from there,"she said pointing at her study table.

Parul and Bhawani both rushed to follow the instructions.

Bhargavi gently lifted his head, moving to the edge of the bed and placing the plastic on her lap, she placed his head gently on her lap, then she slowly washed his hair, placing the bucket just under his head and poured water from the mug leisurely, till his soaring temperature reduced. All this time Prabir tenderly gazed into her concerned eyes.

She bit her lower lip and slowly wrapped his head in a towel,then removed the plastic and whispered, "Feeling better Prabu?"

He had a soul-stirring smile on his face as he nodded in affirmation. It was almost lunch time,Mr. Banerjee came to the Ghosh residence, to call up his kids for lunch as well as meet Bhargavi. He was led into Bhargavi's room by Parul. Bhargavi was drying Prabir's hair gently.

Both Prabir and Bhargavi's gaze fell at him at the same time,before Mr. Banerjee could say anything, Bhargavi said, " Uncle, he doesn't have fever now."

"How are you Bhargavi?" Mr. Banerjee enquired.

" I am fine Uncle," she said cheerfully.

Then Prabir and Parul left, Bhargavi's heart felt heavier with every passing minute. Though she had lunch, took her medicines, physical pain was not a problem any more, her heart was in a turmoil.

Would he be sleeping? Should I call him? Does he have high fever again?

She was fiddling with her phone, and a message popped up, " Hi! Bhargu...Did you take your medicines?" a message from Prabir,

she pressed the phone to her lips and kissed gently before replying to the message, " yes, I took the medicines. How are you? Did you take medicine for fever?"

Again a message popped up, " Bhargu...I love you...yes I took medicine, I am fine don't worry.
Is your toe still swollen? It looked really bad before I took you to the hospital."

" The swelling and the pain is reduced. Don't worry," She replied.

Bhargavi never apologized for her behaviour and Prabir didn't care at all for any apology.

Saturday passed on quickly for others, but it seemed to have stopped for Bhargavi and Prabir.

The flame of love was burning them slowly, the desperate need to be with one another ached their heart. They called each other after dinner, before going to bed several times, because sleep ....it was a twisted game.

But due to the medicines given to Bhargavi and the illness of Prabir, both had slowly drifted to sleep, with their phones clutched in their hands.

Sunday morning, Prabir and Parul again came to meet Bhargavi, but now he had no reason to stay with her for a longer period, he wasn't sick anymore. After spending two hours with her, he finally decided to leave and she felt as if all her life was being squeezed out of her, why did he have to leave so early?

Prabir had to help his father in the kitchen, he was not used to all this work now. However, he managed to sent Parul away for sometime with Bhawani and hugged Bhargavi saying, " Bhargu. When you get bored text me and when I'll be free, I'll call you okay!"

In the evening, Bhargavi waited for Prabir, he didn't come but called her and replied to all her messages.

Why do I miss him so much? Is it because I am bored and can't even move from bed?

She slowly got up on her feet, but did not put any pressure on her left feet and slowly tried to move around her room holding on to the walls, the table for support.

"Complete bedrest for a week my foot!

I hate this! "Bhargavi blurted angrily.

She was frozen to see Prabir rushing into her room whispering,
" Bhargu...What are you up to?"

"What? How are you here?"She snapped.

He closed the door, bolted it shut and then picked her up in his arms, placed her on the bed and murmured,
"Before leaving in the morning, I had unlocked the terrace door, and luckily your Maa didn't check it".

"You crazy!....You jumped from your terrace to this one ...in the middle of the night,"she wailed.

He claimed her lips and kissed her softly, then he bent over her on the bed but did not put his weight on her and lifting his head looked into her beautiful shining jet black eyes. He drew back and stood up immediately, maintaining a distance of a feet between them and softly whispered,
"I ..I am sorry Bhargu...I missed you a lot today".

Not in a state to say something to admonish him, she patted on the bed gesturing him to sit beside her, biting her lower lip.

He sat beside her, stroking her head as she gently placed her head on his right shoulder and placed her palm on his forehead, to check if he had fever. He held her palm and kissed the back of it.

"From tomorrow, I'll be really bored to death Prabu...Bhawani and Parul will go to school, you will go to college, Maa will stay in the kitchen," she complained.

"Please! ...Please please Bhargu ...don't talk about death or dying please. You will not be bored, I'll not go to college," he said softly.

"How many days will you skip college? Could you ask Uncle to speak to the doctor, if I can use crutches for walking ...then maybe I can go to college," she urged.

"Bhargu...don't do this to me, I won't be able to bear this.I don't want to ever... see you walking with the help of crutches. It won't take a lot of time to heal. If you are worried about notes,I'll arrange them I promise," he held her hand and interlinked their fingers. "Bhargu. If you get bored, I'll gift you a little kitten and you can play with it," he suggested thoughtfully.

She chortled and pecked his cheek,
"You are so sweet Prabu," she said gleefully.

Then he laid her down and himself laid beside her on the single bed, then gently lifted her head on his shoulder and placed an arm around her waist. He placed his chin on her head and whispered, " Goodnight Bhargu."

She whispered," Are you mad, what will happen if Maa comes to check at night? I never lock my door and now that I have broken my toe, she can come and check anytime."

"Relax Bhargu! If your Maa comes to check and finds out the door is bolted tell her you were planning to murder someone behind closed doors, and I will hide under your bed," he chuckled. She frowned.

" Don't Worry! Your Maa won't come to check on you. I have bolted the door of her room shut from the outside," he said gleefully.

"What? Why did you do that?" She hissed.

He kissed her nape and the tingling feeling made her heart race rapidly.

" Relax! Bhargu.I did nothing...I just came to see you. As soon as you fall asleep I will leave,"he murmured in her ears and bit the lower end of her earlobe gently. She smiled at him.

She was fast asleep within minutes, he pressed a kiss on her forehead and slowly strolled out of the bed and went back jumping from one terrace to the other.

Two days went swiftly, Prabir had gifted Bhargavi a tiny little kitten with a small bell hung around it's neck. Parul wanted a kitten too, and she too was gifted a little kitten by Prabir. He had taken many pics of both of them delightedly teasing and playing with the little kittens.

Bhawani herself had given shelter to a stray kitten she found on a street long time ago, and after she passed away, she did not want to have one more.

A/N: Wednesday....the birthday party...to be continued...